Bad Machinery goes from Web to Print

Bad Machinery by John Allison will be making the transition from a webcomic to a series of books. The webcomic, which is about two rival groups of supernatural investigators will be released in print in March 2013.

JOHN ALLISON’S BAD MACHINERY MOVES FROM WEB TO PRINT VIA ONI PRESS

Starting in early 2013, Oni Press will begin collecting John Allison’s popular webcomic Bad Machinery into a series of books. Allison began Bad Machinery in 2009 as an extension of his online strip Scary Go Round. This will be the first time any of the material has seen print.

Bad Machinery is a serialized comic about two rival teams of kids who investigate supernatural mysteries, often competing to solve the same case. The story is set in a fictional English town, and all the kids go to the same school. There is the girls group—Shauna, Charlotte, and Mildred—and the boys group—Jack, Linton, and Sonny—and though they each tend to start an adventure from opposite ends, they usually end up in the same place by story’s end.

John Allison is a pioneer of webcomics, having started Bobbins in 1998 and Scary Go Round in 2002. There have been five Bad Machinery stories so far, each exceeding 100 pages. The first Oni Press volume will collect The Case of the Team Spirit, a story revolving around a haunting within the local football club. This full-color paperback is scheduled for March of next year.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to be working with John,” Oni Press editor in chief James Lucas Jones stated. “His comics have helped define how the art form has translated to the internet. His writing displays an impressive balance of suspense and humor, and the book’s characters are well-rounded and interesting so you want to know what happens to them. And that doesn’t even touch on how John is one hell of a cartoonist.”

“It seemed like it was about time I had some Bad Machinery books out there,” Allison explained, “and Oni Press feels like the perfect fit. Their production standards are the best in comics, and I can’t wait to see how they handle printing my strips.”

“We’re at a point where the term ‘webcomics’ is becoming redundant,” Jones added. “Comics is about storytelling, not the delivery system. Being a publisher in the 21st century is reliant on recognizing talent wherever you find it. John Allison is one talented guy, and we’re proud to have Bad Machinery joining the Oni Press library.”

Bad Machinery, vol. 1 is scheduled for a March 2013 release. In the meantime, start reading Bad Machinery now by visiting badmachinery.com.